Ways To Make A Cobra Safer

[G.R.]

These cars are in no way safe--a 2500lb over powered roller skate.

Safety comes from the driver using his/her common sense--from attending a quality driving school, to driving more defensively than you have ever done in the past--

And even then ,you ,the driver needs to know your limits--not the car's -- yours-- most of us aren't in our 20's, our reactions,sight, and all are a h@!! of a lot slower than we were 20-30yrs ago--

And though it might be fun to "punch it" thru the corner remember it could be you in the accident.

Gotta try ,see what you both can do then--Go to the Track--you might learn a lot

have a good one today

[Cal Metal]

Tim:

Regarding survival rates of the original Cobras, that number is very high. Many, however, have been resurrected over time which presupposes a lot of accidents/damage. I have never surveyed the registry but it would be 80%+.

The general rule of thumb on "most" production cars is that after 23 years, 1% of the original production is still on the street. Exception being sports cars and other unique marques. The '53 Corvette has a survival rate of around 66%, I think, which is quite an exception. Many of these have been pulled out of oblivion because of interest and collectibility. One probably couldn't say the same for your Uncle's '74 Chevrolet Vega wagon or your Grandfather's '64 Plymouth Savoy.

[casaleenie]

I post this from time to time from "The Shelby American Original Archieves 1962-1965

Shelby American Race Shop, 1963

The 427 Cobra ready for delivery to a customer.(shows picture)
Everyone at Shelby American used to make bets on how long it would be until the car was returned to the shop with a blown engine or in a box due to a crash. Most employees considered these cars lethal and the 427's never enjoyed the popularity with the employees that the 289 did.

I think I'll copy this thread and read it from time to time to keep my head on straight. A lot of good points made by some smart people.. thanks for the input... I bought this car to have fun in and not to be buried in... I've had Vettes over the years but nothing quite like this car...

Cobrabill,

The comparison I was trying to make was that anyone can walk into a showroom and buy a high powered car and really not know what they have until they get into trouble with it.
With a Cobra, owners know what they have at the onset and tend to treat it with respect...

[Cobrabill]

Casaleenie-the only car you can walk into a dealer and buy that even comes close to the manners of a Cobra is a Viper.Close but no cigar.

And i have to dis-agree with you on your second point.I think there is more than a couple owners who haven't a clue what they have/got into.

[Excaliber]

I suspect the few NEW owners with Cobras who don't appreciate the horse power either wreck very quickly or get a LOT of respect very quickly 'cause they "almost" wrecked. The problem comes up later,,,,,when your feeling "comfortable" with it, a year maybe?

I'm amazed here in Hawaii that it's the LOCALS who get bitten by the shark, lost at sea or whatever. Visitors don't swim after dark, they don't go out 2 miles without a radio and in a "small kine leaky" boat. Visitors "sense" the potential danger, locals and long time Cobra owners get "used to it",,,,,THATS when you get bit! Same applies to motorcycles,,,,,,,,most wrecks are AFTER 6 months ownership. Recent tragic Cobra accident supports this "theory".

Ernie

[Turk]

It is true the accident that claimed lives was tragic. Let' slow down a little before we all list our cars for sale collectively on Cobra Country and make Curt Scott a rich man.

These cars are designed to go fast, and faster yet provide very little protection from the current safety devices we take for granted in our other cars.

Are they less safe than motorcycles some of us enjoy? Is a Miata or a Z3 have enough protection built in to them so you will come on the winning end of contest between your car and an 18 wheeler?

I am not even sure that in spite of our occasional high profile incidents, we are as Cobra owners and drivers are any more prone to accidents than some other segment of motoring public.

Since that accident happened, I wonder how many other lives were lost in motorcycle accidents here and there. We don't know, because Buick drivers, Motorcyclists don't know one another like we do.

They don't have a single point on the Internet where they can come together and discuss what happened thousands of miles away. We do.

I have been a regular on this forum going on three years, and have heard almost every accident in a Cobra many many miles away from me. The other accidents happen more silently than Cobra accidents in here. We only hear about those involving one of our own.

Folks, I can count all bad accidents I have heard about in one hand, maybe two. Some were not even fatal.

Yes we should be careful, yes we should be responsible,and we should always remember those we left home when we said. "I'll be right back"! Let's not get too down on ourselves, we are as a group are far more responsible and better drivers than most.

40,000 or so Cobras and 6000 or so members in here, we damn near know or know someone who owns every Cobra in the world.

We are doing pretty good, let's do a little better and enjoy them as safely as we can.

TURK

[CRZN427]

I stand with those who say "slow down, ...take it easy, ...let that other fool show off and get into trouble, ...enjoy the scenery and the ride", and several other such ideas indicating that you should be driving your car as though your passenger was your insurance agent.

I am a privat pilot, one of the most important lessons in flying is that your first priority, especially in an emergency situation, is to "FLY THE PLANE".

The same philosophy applies to driving, ...Job One "IS DRIVING".

I thank all my lucky stars that I have not been involved in a serious collision, although I have had a couple close calls, which were not my responsibility.

I also ride a motorcycle. I have adopted the perception that all of the cars on the road are out to get me, I have to be alert enough avoid an incident.

All that said, and I still love the feeling of all that performance.

Again I offer condolences the the familys who suffered as a result of the incident discussed.

I don't think that there is much beyond a careful build and using quality parts that will make a Cobra any safer by its self. Put in what you can and then drive defensively.

[decooney]

Quite frankly, I sometimes tend to think of Cobras as being as about as safe as a motorcyle. If you are scared of riding motorcycles on the street, then Cobras are probably not for you. Not to rain on our parade, but if you get t-boned, you're done.

Sure, you can add big rollbars, side impact beams, and all sorts of extra garbage, but what would be the point? When you get to this point, you might as well go buy a Volvo with 20 airbags and call it a day; or just stay at home. Few guarantees here...

I always say to myself to "be alert, use common sense, be careful, think first, don't ever drink and drive, respect the car and its power", and enjoy life!

A Cobra is what it is, and that's what makes it a Cobra.

[casaleenie]

Cobrabill,

What I said was "anyone can walk into a showroom and buy a high performance car and not know what they have until they get into trouble with it" Do you believe that the only car you can get into trouble with is a Cobra or a Viper?? I've seen Mustang GT's with twenty five miles on them sitting in a basket... Almost new Corvettes in pieces.. These were one car crashes. Almost surely it was the performance factor of these cars and inexperienced drivers.

All the Cobra owners I've met seem to have a handle on what they have. I'm sure you do also....

[TheShadow]

Speaking of Motorcycles.
There's only two kinds of Motorcycles.
Those that have crashed. And those that are going to crash.

I know if you keep your head and drive slow and loud like a Harley, even our elderlly south Florida Drivers know you are near by.

Cruise the street, race the track!

Ed

[Neal Jackson]

How "safe" is any vehicle at 70 mph, if it loses control?

[Lew the taxman]

What I can't understand is why some ( a lot ) or cobra guys insist on the retro looking wheels and tires. They want to stay with 15" wheels and their 30year old dated tires. With more HP & Torque than even the comp cars had in the sixties, why wouldn't you want the best tires money can buy. There are just no HIGH PERFORMANCE tires in 15" size. With 17"s, you have a wide selection of performance tires, plus you can go for bigger brakes.

Sorry guys! For butting in. I'm just on the band wagon for high performance wheels & tires to match our high performance cars.

Lew

[rdorman]

Your chooses are EXTREMELY limited in performance tires in 15" but not unavailable. As for brakes, NASCAR and others get by just fine with brakes that fit 15" wheels. Don't get me wrong, I have given considerable thought to going with 17" rims and some day may. I just wanted to respond to the absolute nature of the comments about 15" tires and the brakes that can go with them.
Thanks
Rick

[Cobrabill]

Casaleenie-my comment about the Viper was to the fact that it is closest to the Cobra in handling characteristics.Just ask Kelsey Grammer.

Of course "other" types get wadded up too.But a correctable error in driving a Vette or Mustang may not be correctable in a Cobra.Point is,our cars are not really comparable to anything on the road.

Case in point-a 73 year-old man was sold a Cobra by a dealer and three days later ,at a family get-together,was "giving" rides.
Yep-you guessed it.Off road,thru trees,upside down.
All survived.Both the car and driver were bent pretty good.
THis is not good for any of us.

[Tommy]

An earlier post on this thread suggested that many new Cobra drivers without experience in high performance cars start out cautious and become more dangerous as they get more comfortable. When I flew with the Air Force, we knew that statistically, the most dangerous pilots were those with about 700-1,000 hours of experience (about 2-3 years). Brand new pilots were cautious enough to stay clear of dangerous situations. Very experienced pilots had learned that even skill and experience were not enough to protect them if they took too many chances. The most dangerous pilots were those with enough experience to confidently go into situations were experience alone was insufficient to keep them out of trouble. In my opinion, any driver who tempts fate often enough (e.g., street racing and burnouts) will hurt someone regardless of his driving skills and experience.

[casaleenie]

Tommy,

You're correct....

"Familiarity breed contempt"

You probably know more than most people "to work/stay within the envelope"

You can get away with things ten times in a row and the eleventh time it bites you in the arss.

Cobrabill,

I think we're on the same page with this discussion. I know what you're saying... and I agree...

[BLACKJACK]

THERE IS JUST "NO WAY IN HELL" TO MAKE A COBRA "SAFE".

THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS TO MAKE THE DRIVER "SAFE".

I AGREE WITH CRANKY. (HE SAYS I CAN - AS LONG AS I DON'T OVER DO IT). IF YOU WANT TO BLAST IT AROUND TAKE IT TO THE TRACK.

I'M AS GUILTY AS THE NEXT GUY - BUT SO FAR LUCKIER THAN MANY. I HOPE SOME DAY TO LEARN TO PRACTICE WHAT I PREACH. GOING FROM A "FAMILY CAR" TO A COBRA IS LIKE TAKING A CESSNA PILOT OUT AND LETTING HIM "LEARN AS HE GOES" FLYING AN F-16.

PLEASE, PLEASE. PLEASE - - - - TAKE AT LEAST ONE GOOD DRIVERS COURSE - - - THEN TAKE REFRESHER COURSES PERIODICALLY. IF YOU NEED (WANT) TO "KICK IT IN THE ASS" - - TAKE IT TO THE TRACK.

I DROVE COMPETITIVELY (IN FACT "VERY" COMPETITIVELY) FOR FOUR YEARS. EVEN DROVE AGAINST MR. SHELBY AT EAGLE MOUNTAIN LAKE. (HE WON). AND, I HAVE "SCARED THE HELL" OUT OF MYSELF MORE THAN ONCE IN A COBRA.

IT'S VERY EASY - ON A CRUISE - WHERE THE "BETTER" (SOMETIMES READ "CRAZIER") DRIVERS GET OUT FRONT AND LEAD (?). THE "MACHO" INSTINCT IN ALL OF US (IF WE DIDN'T HAVE IT WE'D BE DRIVING HONDAS) TEMPTS US TO FOLLOW THESE GUYS THROUGH THE TWISTIES - THERE BY BECOMMING ONE OF THE "CRAZIES". DON'T DO IT. IT'S OKAY TO BACK OFF AND CATCH UP LATER. YOU'LL BE MUCH FARTHER AHEAD - AND THE GUYS WILL RESPECT YOU FOR BEING SMART - AND KNOWING YOUR LIMITATIONS. HELL - - WE ALL HAVE LIMITATIONS - - BUT WE ARE NOT ALL SMART.

PLEASE - BE CAREFUL. AFTER ALL THE INSURANCE DOLLARS THAT YOU SAVE MAY BE MINE.

Y'ALL HAVE A REALLY GREAT - AND SAFE DAY,

BLACKJACK

[turnpike boy]

Been riding for damn near on 38 years now...started with Nortons, on to twincam Hondas (750 and CBX), a GSXR, a couple RD 350 Yamahas, etc. Have fallen off on occasion, but DUE TO MY OWN STUPIDITY. Or exuberance - take your pick. To say it's inevitable, either bike or Cobra, is ridiculous.

[ERA535]

Lew -

Better tires only mean you will be going faster if you crash. For the street the 15" are all you need. That "last tenth" doesn't/shouldn't come into play on the street.

Tommy-

I was going to make a similar comment.....I remember reading about pilot training in WW2 and the general thought then was that 20 hours was the "magic" number. If a pilot got past that he would probably be Ok for the same reasons you list.

Cranky-

I agree with you.

[coyled]

Lew, 15's are more forgiving than 17's and give you some warning before they go away. For the street 15's are fine. If you own a cobra and have not taking a driving class, I can not understand why not? It can only help you to be safer and not hurt you. scott